Assessing Beliefs About Remarriages and Stepfamilies

Remarriage Beliefs as Predictors of Marital Quality and Positive Interaction in Stepcouples: An Actor–Partner Interdependence Model

“…According to Fine and Kurdek's () multidimensional cognitive‐developmental model, when individuals in stepfamilies hold particular beliefs for their marriage and family, including those guided by stepfamily myths and unrealistic expectations, they are likely to experience poorer relationship functioning. Similar to Higginbotham and Adler‐Baeder's () findings regarding relationship satisfaction and adjustment, our findings suggest that stronger endorsement of beliefs that finances should be pooled (four total actor effects) and weaker endorsement of the belief that success is slim (three total actor effects) were positively associated with one's own reports of marital quality and positive interaction.…”

“…For husbands, endorsing the belief that success is slim was associated with both their own reports of marital quality and interaction, and notably, also with wives' reports of husbands' positive interaction. Effects for success is slim beliefs were expected based on the notion of expectancy confirmation (Snyder, ) and due to previous findings that those who endorsed these beliefs reported lower marital satisfaction and adjustment overall (Higginbotham & Adler‐Baeder, ). Our findings, considered together with previous research, suggest that pessimistic expectations regarding remarital success may be significant indicators of relationship quality, particularly when men endorse such beliefs (Higginbotham & Agee, ).…”

“…Couples' remarriage beliefs were assessed using three subscales from the Remarriage Belief Inventory (RMBI; Higginbotham & Adler‐Baeder, ). Means, standard deviations, and reliabilities are reported separately for wives and husbands in Table .…”

“…Based on the general recognition of unique remarriage beliefs (Ganong & Coleman, ), efforts began in 2005 to develop a validated instrument for use in empirical research on the effects of remarriage beliefs on couple quality. Guided by Gable and Wolfe's () domain‐referenced approach, the Remarriage Belief Inventory (RMBI) was developed (Higginbotham & Adler‐Baeder, , ). Following a thorough literature review of clinical and empirical remarriage and stepfamily literature, content categories were developed to capture remarriage cognitions across seven factors assessing beliefs that: (1) past should stay in the past , (2) stepfamilies are inferior , (3) success is slim , (4) children are the priority , (5) new partner is perfect , (6) finances should be pooled , and (7) adjustment comes quickly .…”

“…In addition to general relationship beliefs, cognitions regarding remarriage may be associated with marital quality and interactions in higher order unions (Fine & Kurdek, ; Higginbotham & Adler‐Baeder, ; Shapiro, ). The endorsement of dysfunctional beliefs and unrealistic expectations have long been purported to negatively impact remarriage and stepfamily relationships (see Coleman & Ganong, , ; Walsh, ).…”